What is stewardship?
[Mat 25:14-30 NIV] 14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.
15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.
17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.
18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,' he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.'
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,' he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.'
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,' he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?
27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 ” ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.
29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Did you know most people associate stewardship with only the handling of finances or the money that God has entrusted to them?
Now handling finances is a part of stewardship, but there is much more to stewardship then only finances.
Stewardship is the way that you and I express our faithfulness and responsibility in handling the things that God has entrusted to our care.
Adam was the first steward in the Bible.
Genesis 2:15 –
[Gen 2:15 NIV] 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
God created everything in the garden. Adam was responsible to work and take care of what God had created and that was the first act of stewardship.
Adam did not own what he was put over as a steward, but his responsibility was to manage it and take care of what God gave him.
Let me say that again but in another way. Adam did not own anything in the garden, but his responsibility was to manage and take care of what God had put in his care.
That is pretty much the principle of stewardship.
- What is a steward?
A steward is one manages the possessions of another.
The owner has the rights, but the steward has responsibilities.
Did you know that we are all stewards of what has been entrusted to you and I by God?
A steward is someone that has been entrusted with someone else’s property or possessions and held responsible to work it and take care of it.
Example:
If I let you borrow my book. As the owner I have the right to the book but as the steward you have the responsibility to take care of the book.
If I let you borrow my car. As the owner I have the rights to the car, but as the steward you have the responsibility to take care of the car.
If I let you borrow my pots and pans, or my tools and the list can go on and on. As the owner of the products, I have the right to it, but as the steward you have the responsibility to take care of what I have entrusted to you.
In relation to the master who is the owner of the possessions, a steward is considered a servant, but in relation to the other stewards, a steward is considered a master.
As a steward you are to be a servant and take care of what has been entrusted to you, but at the same time you are the master of what has been entrusted to you.
Sometimes the challenge for us is to not only master the way we take care of what we consider to be ours, but to master the way we take care of someone else’s property that has been entrusted to us.
When it is mine, I take care of it with all my heart, but if I am only using it then I don’t really take care of it like I would as if it were mine.
The challenge for you and I is to be good stewards of what God has entrusted us with.
- Who is a steward?
Did you know that we are all stewards?
That means you, me, and everyone in here.
We have all been entrusted with something that is not ours. How do we know that? Because the Bible says that God owns everything.
So, whatever you and I have has been given to us by God and that means that we are stewards of whatever God has entrusted with.
How do we know that God owns everything? Let’s take a look at what the Bible says.
[Hag 2:8 KJV]
8 The silver [is] mine, and the gold [is] mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
[1Co 10:26 NIV]
26 for, “The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.”
[Psa 50:10 NIV]
10 for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.
[Job 41:11 NIV]
11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.
God is the owner and creator of everything, so that means that you and I are only stewards of what we have.
God has entrusted each one of us with something and whatever that something is, we are stewards over.
Whether it be our time, our finances, our house, our car, our business, our life and yes even our talents and gifts.
[1Pe 4:10 NIV]
10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.
According to this scripture even our talents and gifts don’t belong to us, they were given to us by God, and we should be good stewards by using them.
Did you know that as you and I are good steward and use our talents and gifts for the Lord it shows God’s grace in various forms?
When you and I use the abilities that God has given us, we are modeling God’s grace in that form.
Example:
When we use the ability that God has given us, such as serving, we are modeling God’s grace in that form.
When we use the ability that God have given us, such as teaching, then we are modeling God’s Grace in that form.
When we are using the ability that God has given us, such as singing, then we are modeling God’s grace in that form.
It is just like when you go to Markham’s at Canal Walk and you see models in front of the store wearing and modeling certain clothes.
They are standing in different forms.
That is how it is when you and I are faithful in using our different abilities that God has given us. We are modeling God’s grace in that various form.
You might be modeling God’s grace in serving.
You might be modeling God’s grace in teaching.
You might be modeling God’s grace in your singing.
You might be modeling God’s grace in you preaching.
You may say, how are we modeling Gods’ grace?
Well, if it wasn’t for the Grace of God, then we wouldn’t be preaching.
Hello.
If it wasn’t for the Grace of God, you wouldn’t have that business.
If it wasn’t for the Grace of God, then we wouldn’t have that family.
When we use our ability to run the business that God has given us, then we are modeling God’s grace in that form.
If it wasn’t for the Grace of God, then we would not be able to do what we are doing or have the abilities we have and that is how we are a model of God’s Grace in it various forms.
You might be modeling that grace in singing, serving, teaching, preaching, worshipping, running a business, getting a degree, promotion at work, being a good Father, being a good Mother, getting your matric and so on.
Grace will show itself in our lives, as you and I are good stewards and use what God has given us.
Even Paul the apostle stated in I Corinthians that the Grace of God was not given to him in vain, why because he put in work.
[1Co 15:10 KJV]
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which [was bestowed] upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Paul said God’s Grace was not given to me in vain, why because he modeled that Grace by putting in work for the Lord.
Side Note: If someone tells you, you don’t deserve be used by God. You can say your say right, but I am just a model of His Grace. Then bust a model pose on them.
So when the bible says we should use our gifts that we have received as faithful stewards of God’s grace in various forms. That is what it is talking about.
I guess the question would be “Are there any good stewards in the House that are modeling God’s grace in the form that He has entrusted us with?”
Like I said earlier we have all been entrusted with something from God and that makes us all stewards.
You and I have been given a grace by God to operate in the abilities and talents that God has entrusted us with.
That is why the excuse of I don’t have it all together shouldn’t stop us from stepping out for God. Even though we none of us have it together, when God uses us, we are a model of His Grace.
- Why should we be a good steward?
I can think of a few reasons of why you and I should be good stewards of what God has entrusted us with.
- Because we love God.
- Because we will give an account.
- Because we are a model of God’s Grace.
- Because we are grateful that God has entrusted us.
- Because it is God, we are using our abilities for.
Whether it is our ability to teach.
Whether it is our ability to serve.
Whether it is our ability to run a business.
Whether it is being a Father or Mother.
Whether it is being a good steward of our finances, a good steward of our talents or a good steward of our time.
We are using our abilities for God because we love Him.
As a matter of fact the Bible says in
Colossians 3:23
[Col 3:23 NIV] 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,
The reason that you and I should want to be faithful with the abilities that God has given us, is because we love God, and we serve Him.
